Wednesday, September 13, 2017

RONDININI PALACE

Begun in
1750 by Gabriele Valvassori (1683/1761), who
incorporated the Palace of Cavalier d'Arpino built by Flaminio Ponzio (1560/1613), made the NORTH WING and
the FAÇADE ON VIA DEL CORSO

Finished
1761/64 by Alessandro Dori(active in Roma since 1744/d. 1772), who added the SOUTH
WING and oversaw the interior of the house-museum of the Marquis Giuseppe
Rondinini that until 1800 still kept the famous “Pieta Rondanini” (the
misspelling of the name is commonly accepted) by Michelangelo Buonarroti now in
Milan

The
building is currently owned by Bank Antonveneta and hosts the Chess Club

“Among
the strategies adopted to emphasize the prestige of the family, there is the
relationship between antiquities and modern décor. Pieces of the Roman statuary
such as columns, bas-reliefs, sarcophagi and statues were fused with stuccos
and paintings, creating a living museum, where the classics became an
additional ornament. Unlike other historic homes where the remains of the
ancient collections were exhibited in galleries and private museums, here the
relationship with archeology was part of everyday life, as well as being a good
financial investment in times of crisis. Most of these pieces, however, were
removed when Giuseppe Rondinini, the last heir, left the palace. (...) However,
one can still feel the ancient preciousness of the rooms through illusionistic paintings,
architectural views and depictions of mythological stories made​in the style of
Bologna's squaring” (Rita Dietrich - L'Osservatore Romano)